Looking Back at the Crash Site
by Halawen
Summary: On the way to a weekend field trip for grades eleven and twelve the buses crash to miss a drunk driver. Clare wakes up hurt and confused, Adam is worried about her, and Drew and Becky all of them clinging to life. Can help reach the kids in time? Who will survive? Can anyone walk away unscathed? A/U Trigger warnings. 3 shot.
1. Got Tears Rolling up Our Sleeves

**Legal: I own nothing but the idea.**

**Trigger warnings!**** Please read with caution this fic may be hard for some people to read who have been through similar circumstances.**

**Stuff you need to know:**

***Takes place just after Ray of Light.**

***Drew never dropped out but did have his concussion.**

***Jake and Katie didn't breakup and the whole Vegas thing never happened.**

***That should do it other than you might want to grab some tissues for this one.**

**Ch. Got Tears Rolling up our Sleeves**

**(CLARE)**

I groan, my head feels heavy and it's pounding. I hear birds, very loud birds but they sound muffled like I'm hearing them under water and there's a ringing in my ears. My eyes are hard to open; it's a struggle, much more than the struggle of opening them after a deep sleep. When they do finally open the first thing I see is sunlight filtering through leaves on trees. I blink several times, feeling myself in a hazy fog like I'm dreaming. I try to reach up with my right hand to rub my eyes but my right arm won't move, I must have slept on it and now it's numb and asleep. I reach over rubbing my eyes with my left hand and feel something thick and wet on my forehead slowly creeping to my left eye. I hold my hand above my eyes and see red on my fingers!

Hearing a stick snap makes me turn my head, I turn it fast and instantly regret this action as my head feels worse now and my neck hurts. I can feel the ground under me all of a sudden, as if I was numbed by an anesthetic and it suddenly wore off. I'm in the dirt, on leaves and sticks, I look around, the leaves I saw earlier were not a dream I am in the woods. I have no idea what happened or how I ended up in the woods. I feel sick and in a fog still but I can't keep lying on the ground. My right arm is still numb and not working but I put my left hand on the dirt, planting it firmly and with an effort that is much harder than it should be I push myself to sit up.

I seem to be totally alone as if I were plucked from my home and dropped from the sky in the middle of the woods. I don't believe in alien abduction and even in my fog I know there must be a rational explanation. I look over the rest of me, I'm not missing a limb or anything, my clothes are dirty and ripped. I have scratches and some blood in places but I'm not bleeding out and all the blood seems to be from cuts and scratches, none of which are life threatening or bleeding heavily. My left knee is swollen and slightly discolored I realize it must be twisted or fractured but I feel no pain.

My head is still in a fog but I become aware of yelling or crying. I can't quite tell where it's coming from as it seems to be echoing in the woods. I need to find whoever it is and figure out what happened. Curling my right leg under me and using my left hand I get myself up, I'm able to stand on both legs as I still feel no pain. When I try and walk my left leg is weaker but I manage to walk with a sort of limp. I listen for a second trying to discern where the sounds are coming from but it's difficult, I begin walking in the direction I believe them to be from and hope that I'm right.

Coming through some trees I see a car ahead; I walk a little faster and begin to feel pain for the first time. Reaching the car that's wrapped around a tree and I peer in, a man in a disheveled suit sits dead in the driver's seat. He's very obviously dead as he's been crushed by the car and shard of glass impale his chest. The sight is horrific; my heart is pounding at this scene and being so near someone that has died so hideously. A hand comes down on my shoulder and I scream!

"Clare it's okay it's me," Adam's voice says and I stop screaming letting out a breath turning around. When I see Adam I throw my arms around his neck hugging him tightly with one arm since my right one still doesn't work. Adam hugs me tightly as well and rubs my back lightly. "We must have crashed by I don't remember anything, I don't know where the others are or how we ended up in the woods," Adam comments.

"Crashed?" I question as we release each other from the hug and he looks at me.

"Yeah don't you remember all the grade eleven and twelve kids were going on a field trip for the weekend," Adam says looking at my head closely. "You're bleeding Clare," Adam tells me and takes off his plaid shirt, which he's wearing over a white undershirt.

"I know," I reply acknowledging that I'm bleeding as Adam rips his shirt into strips. "I don't remember a field trip," I tell him while he takes a strip and ties it around my head.

"What's the last thing you do remember?" Adam asks and I think a moment.

"Our pop quiz in chemistry this morning," I answer.

"Clare that was yesterday morning, it's Friday afternoon you have amnesia, must be from your head injury," Adam says and looks me over carefully. "Does your knee hurt?"

"A little, I really just feel numb," I tell him.

"It looks twisted, maybe even broken I'm kind of surprised you could walk. What about your arm?" Adam questions.

"It doesn't work, I can't move it but it doesn't hurt," I tell him and Adam gently picks up my arm.

"It's broken," he says taking another strip of his shirt and tying it behind my neck, he slips my arm through and now it's a makeshift sling. "We need to go find the others, Drew and Eli especially. I don't think you should walk on your knee much lean on me, put your arm around my shoulders. Tell me if you feel any pain," Adam says.

"Are you hurt?" I ask putting my arm around Adam's shoulders.

"I have some bruises and cuts; I think I cracked a couple of ribs but that's it," Adam replies as we start walking.

"That guy was dead Adam," I tell him in a quiet voice as we walk past some debris and scattered bags and backpacks.

"I know Clare," he says softly as we look around at the scattered debris. We're walking a little slow, probably because of me but suddenly we hear Adam's name being called.

"ADAM!" Several people yell very loudly.

"DREW BIANCA!" Adam yells as loud as he can and then takes a struggling breath.

Now I hear running and then Drew appears with Bianca on his arm and Owen and Dallas following behind.

"Thank God," Drew exclaims releasing Bianca to hug his brother tightly and Adam makes a noise. I let go of Adam and my leg feels weak, I almost fall but Owen runs over and catches me before I hit the ground.

"You look really pale Drew," Adam says when the brothers release each other.

"He was yelling so loud for you that he passed out and he was unconscious when we found him," Bianca explains.

"Are you two okay?" Drew asks putting his arm around Bianca again and he does look like he's barely hanging on.

"I think I cracked some ribs, I have a few cuts and bruises and I don't remember the crash but I'm doing better than Clare. She twisted her knee I think, her arm is broken and she has a nasty cut on her head. She also doesn't remember the last 26 hours. Are you guys hurt? Have you seen anyone else?" Adam asks them.

"Like I said Drew was unconscious when I found him, he's got some bruises. I think I fractured my wrist but just some scratches other than that," Bianca tells us.

"I cut my leg pretty bad but that's it other than scrapes and bruises that we all have, well except for Owen who's apparently made of steel since he barely has a scratch or bruise," Dallas remarks with a slightly sardonic tone and I look at Owen who grins.

"Just about everyone on our bus jumped or was thrown free when it started rolling down the hill, I don't know about the other bus though. We can't get cell service down here, one of the buses is this way, I don't think you should walk," Owen tells me and picks me up in his arms. I put my arms around his neck and my head on his shoulder. "Hey no sleeping you might have a concussion," Owen tells me.

I keep my eyes open but watching the woods bouncing as Owen walks is making me ill so I look at his shirt instead. I notice his pink shirt has been ripped; I take the rip and finger it, pulling at a loose thread. I'm sort of zoning out on it and I can't really think.

"Fuck!" Adam exclaims suddenly and I look up because my sweet natured best friend so rarely utters profanity.

When I look up I see why he did, one of the school buses is against a tree, the bus is crumpled, it's front end smashed like a tin can and the driver is dead lying halfway out the broken window! Blood is all over the glass, more blood is spattered on the windows inside, some smeared on bus and doors as kids were trying to get out. Mr. Perino is lying dead and blocking the front door, trapped by the smashed front end of the bus he's been crushed to death! I see a few other students lying dead in the bus or just outside of it, a couple guys I recognize from the Ice Hounds, a girl in my Canadian law class, another senior boy. A lot of other kids are sitting huddled together, Owen sets me down next to Adam, we're sitting a few feet away from the others. I look over to the group, many of the kids are injured, I can see some are bleeding and Bo from the Ice Hounds has an obvious broken leg.

I look at the crashed bus, the group of injured and scared kids, the image of the dead bus driver and Mr. Perino seep into my mind until they are all I can see. I don't remember a field trip or a bus crash, I don't even remember being on the bus but people I care about are hurt, some could be dead. I still don't know where Alli, Jenna, Connor, Eli and Jake are or if they're even alive. I'm not sure where Becky and Luke are for that matter, not that either one is really my friend but Becky is dating Adam. I don't know where Fiona, Imogen or Katie are and I do know them a little. This doesn't feel real, like some horrible nightmare I've woken up in the middle of. It all sinks in and I start shaking, I can't control it. I realize I'm crying, I put my head on whoever's next to me and start bawling.

**(ADAM)**

I sit down in the grass near the still smoking bus we had been riding in. Drew sits next to me, putting his head on Bianca, he doesn't look so good and I'm worried. Owen sets Clare next on my other side and he sits on the other side of her, Dallas sits next to Owen while I look at Clare. I'm worried about her too; she looks blank and sad but sort of…lost. It worries me that she has no memories since yesterday morning I can't tell if it's all just shock or a bad head injury and amnesia. The cut on her head looks nasty, not to mention her broken arm and her knee that is twisted or dislocated. Suddenly Clare erupts into tears; she turns and puts her head on Owen's shoulder. He doesn't seem to mind, in fact he just puts his arm around her and lets her cry, I put my arm around her shoulders and my head on her back so she knows I'm here.

"I'm gonna find some water, sit up Baby, put your head in Adam's lap but don't go to sleep I'll be right back," Bianca says to my brother.

He moves over and puts his head on my leg, Bianca gets up and starts looking through backpacks and bags.

"Mom's going to be so mad," Drew comments.

"Yep," I nod and look at Dallas, "Do you know what happened? I don't remember the crash just a lot of screaming and screeching tires."

"There was drunk driver in a maroon car, he swerved in front of our bus, we swerved too hard and the bus started sliding down the hill. The other bus swerved to miss us and they crashed too but they didn't come down the hill as far as we did. I was sitting in back with Dallas and Luke and we pushed the back door open jumping out, the bus started rolling and a lot of kids were tossed out including you two. You guys got tossed pretty far or rolled further downhill we're not really sure. It was all chaos," Owen explains.

"I was worried when you weren't near the crash so we went looking for you," Drew speaks up in a groggy voice from my lap.

"Clare and I saw the maroon car, the drunk guy is dead," I tell them.

"Luke hiked up to check on the other bus and get help since our cells don't work down here. He wasn't hurt, just a few scratches and he wanted to check on Becky," Dallas informs us.

"Here Baby sit up and drink some water," Bianca says handing Drew a bottle and he sits up but still leans on me a lot. "Share it with Clare, she's losing fluids and she's starting to look pallid," Bianca remarks and I look at Clare to see her skin has taken on a grayish tone. "I'm going to give these other two bottles to the other group it's all I could find."

Bianca walks up to the second group while Drew takes some sips of water before holding the bottle out and touching Clare's arm but she doesn't react.

"She doesn't look so good," Drew comments.

"Neither do you," I tell him taking the water bottle from Drew. Bianca comes back and Drew lays in her lap now, I brush Clare's hair back coaxing her to look at me. "Clare drink some water," I command her and she wipes her eyes reaching for the bottle.

"Adam I don't feel well," she says after taking a couple of sips and handing me back the bottle. Her voice is thin and shaky, she sounds like a sick little kid and it just makes me worry more.

"You don't look so good either, you or Drew. I hope help gets here soon," I remark looking up the hill for signs of help but see none.

"Baby stay awake, talk to me," Bianca says as Drew starts to fade.

"Andrew stay conscious I'm not going to lose either of you," I command him and he opens his eyes sitting up a little more and leaning against Bianca.

"She won't stop shaking, I think she's in shock," Owen speaks up and now I look over at Clare. Owen takes his jacket off putting it around her shoulders, "Dallas help me, I think she needs to be straightened out, she could have internal injuries we're not aware of. Drew you too lay on your back. Put her against my chest and elevate her leg," Owen says taking charge.

Owen and Dallas carefully lift Clare and get her between Owen's legs so she's lying against his chest. While they're doing that Drew turns on his back and I gather up a couple backpacks so Clare can rest her leg on them. Just as I'm sitting down again I hear people walking down the hill and look back, Jake and Eli are coming with Alli. They come to us and see Drew first, all three of them have some cuts and abrasions but that's about it. The worst of it seems to be Eli with a fat lip.

"Helps on the way, hang in there Drew," Jake tells him.

"We called 911 they're sending helicopters and ambulances," Eli says.

"Good because Clare and Drew need to go like now," Owen speaks up and now the three of them look over and notice Clare. Eli and Clare were fighting, he'd broken up with her after Cam but realizing she's hurt he goes pale. Jake takes one look at her knee and obviously broken arm and turns green.

"Clare," Alli gasps kneeling down next to her.

"Alli you're okay," Clare says weakly, "where's Jenna?"

"She's up at the other bus, Connor…" Alli stops with tears in her eyes. "I came down to find you, I should get back to Jenna," Alli says as gets up and looks at me, there's something in her face and her eyes that says she's afraid to tell me something.

Alli starts to go up the hill, practically running and I wonder what she's not saying. I look up at Eli and Jake but they both look away from me.

"What's wrong with Connor? Where's Luke and Becky?" I ask them.

"Luke's with Becky, she got impaled by some glass, it went through her stomach, she's alive but barely," Eli tells me and my heart sinks.

I should have been on the bus with her, she wanted to ride with Jenna though and I wanted to ride with Clare who was still upset after Eli and didn't want to be on the bus he was on. I look at Drew who's pale and barely conscious, Clare who looks worse and worse by the second and now find out my girlfriend's been impaled by glass! I want to be with all three, I don't want to leave Clare and Drew but I want to see my girlfriend.

"I need to go see her," I comment and get up slowly, "watch them I'll be back."

I start walking up the hill past the other group of kids and see debris and pieces of the bus scattered all over. A few kids lay dead as I get further up the hill; one has obviously been smashed by the bus as it rolled down the hill. Near the top of the hill I see Alli and Dave holding Jenna, and Connor he's lying motionless and blood is everywhere. He's dead. Then I see Luke, near the bus, sitting next to Becky who is so ghostly white she doesn't look human, a large piece of glass protruding from her side and my heart stops. I run over kneel down on her other side, taking her hand and she looks at me with weak clouded eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I should have been on the bus with you," I tell her as I begin crying.

"No you were where you meant to be, Clare needed you. Where is she?" Becky asks.

"She's hurt pretty bad and Drew was unconscious they're down the hill, people are looking out for them. Stay with me Becky I love you," I tell her.

"I love you too Adam," she says with a small smile.

I lean down and kiss her forehead, silently praying that help gets here in time and I don't lose any of them but I have such a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach it has me worried.

**(OWEN)**

Adam goes up to check on Becky while Eli and Jake sink down next to Clare. Dallas moves over to help Bianca keep Drew awake and I'm worried that we're going to lose them both at any minute now.

"Jake what's wrong with Connor?" Clare asks her stepbrother.

"Don't worry about it Clare just stay with us," Jake replies.

"No what's wrong with Connor and where's Katie? Why aren't you with her? Where is everyone? Eli where's Imogen and Fiona, you should be with them," Clare says in an insistent voice but it's also quite shaky and weak.

"Fiona and Imogen are together, Fiona got thrown from the bus and hit a tree, she's unconscious and won't wake up. I needed to find you and Adam. Katie is unconscious, Mo and Marisol are with her but Jake wanted to call for help and check on you. Connor is…Connor died Clare, he went through the window of our bus," Eli tells his ex-girlfriend and suddenly Clare sits up.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I ask her.

"I need to go be with Jenna," she says.

"Clare no, Dave and Alli are with Jenna you need to lie down," Jake says in a firm voice.

"No," Clare says in a voice full of anguish and panic, "no I need to be with my friend. I need to go to my friends. I need to get up, Owen why can't I get up, I can't move my leg."

"Fuck," I exclaim looking down at her leg, "because your knee has swelled up to about three times what it should be. Quick we need a tourniquet."

"Here," Eli says taking off his belt and Dallas stands up doing the same. We tighten them around Clare's leg to try and stop the swelling and probably internal bleeding; Eli sits on the backpacks lifting her leg to get it as elevated as possible. Clare turns into me sobbing hard, she starts shaking again but this time it's because of how hard she's crying. She grips my shirt and I hold her looking helplessly at Bianca and the others. I don't even know Clare but I'm worried she's going to die in my arms. Drew's awake, talking weakly but his normally olive skin has gone pale and greyish, I'm sure he has a head injury or worse.

"Where the fuck is everyone?! If they sent helicopters they should be here now!" I growl angrily feeling sick over the thought that these two might die before help even arrives.

"I'll hike to the road and see if they're coming, I should check on Katie again anyway," Jake says looking more like he just doesn't want to watch Clare die.

He walks off and the only one talking is Drew, he's talking to keep himself awake. The rest of us don't want to talk, we have nothing to say, we're just praying for help. Finally I hear the distant sounds of helicopters approaching, just as I let out a relieved breath that help is finally coming Clare stops crying and her body goes limp in my arms!

"Clare!" I practically scream and everyone looks at me, or rather her. I turn her in my arms to look at her face; her eyes have rolled back into her head. I can't find a pulse and she's not breathing! "No you are not going to fucking die on me now," I say aloud like commanding it will make it so. I lay her back flat on the ground as carefully as I can while still moving fast. Eli still has her leg elevated but he looks so scared and he's almost as pale as she is. When she's lying down I start CPR hearing the helicopters right above us now.

"Owen don't make out with Clare," Drew says but he sounds almost drunk.

"Dude I think you're delirious," Dallas tells him while I try and breathe some life back into Clare.

"Is that why I feel purple?" Drew asks.

"Baby what are you talking about?" Bianca asks in panic stricken tone. The next words of Drew's mouth make no sense, it's like he's speaking some foreign language and then he vomits. "Shit that's blood!" Bianca says and I can hear that she's in tears, so worried about the only guy she's ever been in love with and then she sort of screams.

"Fuck dude! Drew wake up!" Dallas orders but it doesn't seem to be doing any good.

I can't look over and I can't help, I need to get Clare breathing again, get a pulse back in her because I'm not letting her die so I just concentrate on CPR. Now I hear noises and more voices but they are ones I don't recognize.

"We have two code blues, we need immediate medi-vac to a class one trauma center," a male voice says into radio.

"Let us take over son," another guy says to me.

"She's not breathing and I can't find a pulse," I tell him.

"We need you both to get back from her so we can examine," another one says.

I slowly back up, looking at Drew who's just lying motionless next to some blood he vomited and he looks yellow. A third EMT is looking him over and two gurneys are getting lowered by a large army helicopter. When I look back at Clare they're making Eli put down her leg and then they shock her with a portable defibrillator while the other pumps her with oxygen. They have to shock her twice but she gets a weak pulse finally, I wish that made me feel better but she still looks dead. The next few minutes become kind of a blur; two EMT's rapidly get Clare on a gurney and stabilized for transport while two more do the same to Drew. One EMT straddles Clare's gurney so he can keep giving her oxygen but Drew rides up alone. We watch the gurneys go up as the EMT's get taken up by rope one at a time.

"Drew's had a level two concussion before and he was unconscious when we found him," Bianca tells one of the EMT's rapidly.

"Where are you taking them?" Dallas questions.

"All trauma patients will be airlifted to Hamilton General Hospital and treated in the trauma center there, it's one of the best your friends are in good hands," an EMT that stayed behind tells us.

"Are any of you hurt?" Asks the other EMT who stayed behind to check on the other kids.

"Dallas cut his leg, the rest of us are okay," I answer.

"I'm fine, there's people worse than me," Dallas says.

"Alright you four stay together and get back up the hill as far as you can make it. Ambulances and fire trucks should be on scene any minute."

We nod and start walking uphill while the EMT's look at the other group of kids. The helicopter with Drew and Clare in it has taken off but two more are in the sky now and EMT's are being lowered down to help. Dallas is starting to limp a little and I think he needs to be looked at soon. The four of us slowly make our way up hill; I look away when I see my teammate's dead body lying nearly decapitated on the ground. We pass a lot of other kids; some of them are barely hurt while others are clinging to life. How is that fair? What kind of roll of the dice means that I'm fine but Connor is dead and Drew and Clare could be dead on the way to the hospital right now.

We don't even make it to the top of the hill before I see Connor's dead body; or rather his legs as Alli, Jenna and Dave surround him. I do see blood though, a lot of blood. A little farther up the hill Becky is being loaded onto a gurney and lifted into a helicopter, she's hovering near death, I can see it from here. Adam and Luke are holding each other and crying as they watch Becky being airlifted to help. We reach them, Bianca puts a hand on Adam's shoulder and he turns to her, hugging her and crying on her shoulder.

"I'm going to make sure Fiona's getting help and tell Jake what happened," Eli says walking off.

"Clare and Drew?" Adam asks looking up a little.

"They got airlifted out, they're being taken to a trauma center," I tell him but don't have the heart to tell him that Drew vomited blood and passed out or that I had to give Clare CPR to even have a hope of keeping her alive.

Dallas sits down, I look around the group up here, ambulances begin flooding the area along with police and fire trucks. Emergency workers swarm around doing triage and treating those who need immediate attention. Katie and Fiona also get airlifted out and taken to the trauma center. Dallas, Jenna, Bo, Marisol and several others are taken by ambulance to Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital in Burlington. The rest of us are checked over quickly and taken in police shuttles to nearby hospitals to be checked out thoroughly. Since Adam was in shock and the EMT's were sure he had cracked a rib he had already been taken by ambulance. I ride in a police shuttle with Bianca and a few others, after being checked out by a doctor and x-rays being taken I'm cleared and told I can call my parents and go home. I'm sure my parents have heard by now and I will call them to let them know I'm okay but I'm not going home I need to know how Drew is, and Clare. My cell is still in my pocket, I turned it off when we had no signal and I turn it back on now, I get flooded by missed texts and calls from my parents and Tris. I don't look at them but I call my mom.

"Owen thank heavens are you okay? The school called we're on our way," Mom tells me when she answers.

"I'm fine, the doctors checked me out and all I've got is a few bruises. I'm going to Hamilton General to check on my friends, I'm not going home until I know they're okay," I tell Mom.

"Okay, we'll meet you there, we love you Owen," Mom says.

"I love you guys too," I say and hang up then I see Bianca leaning outside. "Hey I'm gonna find a way of getting to the trauma center you want to come?"

"Yeah, I just got a call from Audra, she and Omar are coming, they're headed for the trauma unit to see Drew and she's trying to call the other hospital and get news on Adam and Dallas," Bianca says and I notice a brace on her wrist.

"I think Adam's okay other than maybe going crazy, he watched his brother, best friend and girlfriend hovering near death," I comment and Bianca nods as I see one of the cop cars that brought some of us here. "Hey we need to get to the trauma center where they took our friends can you take us?" I request half demanding and half begging.

"Yeah come on," the cop says opening the back door to the cruiser.

Bianca and I get in; it feels like drive to the hospital takes forever, I just keep picturing Drew and Clare. How they looked right before they were taken, we're still on the drive when Bianca's phone rings.

"Hey Audra, Owen and I are headed to the trauma center to see Drew and Clare…good tell them we'll meet them there…no just me and Owen but Eli and some others were okay at the site…Yeah see you soon," Bianca says, hangs up and looks at me. "Dallas got a pretty nasty cut they gave him some antibiotics but he's been released. Adam has some cracked ribs and a few bruises but he's physically okay, they are worried about him though. Audra and Omar are picking them up and then they're heading to the trauma center for Drew but no word on him yet," Bianca says.

I nod, I don't know what to say but we've arrived at the trauma center anyway. We thank the cop as soon as he's opened the door and we run into the hospital emergency entrance.

"Our friends were brought in; they were in the bus crash. A guy in a girl they were the first two brought in, Clare Edwards and Drew Torres," I tell the nurse behind the desk.

"There's a waiting room upstairs but if you aren't family we can't release any information," she says.

"JUST TELL US HOW BAD IT IS OR LET US SEE THEM!" I scream at her and see security approaching as Bianca puts her hand on my arm.

"Owen," Dallas' voice makes me turn and I see the Torres parents coming in with him and Adam.

"I'm Drew Torres' mother and Clare Edwards parents are on their way, they went to pick up her brother from the other hospital I need a status on both of them," Audra says with an authoritative voice and the nurse actually listens.

"Both children are in critical condition and both are in surgery right now. That's all I can tell you, if you'll go up to the trauma center and into the family waiting room a doctor will come speak to you as soon as they can," the nurse tells us.

I tense up ready to yell but Audra grabs my wrist and pulls me with her, we find the elevator and go upstairs.

"I know you're angry and scared Owen but yelling at the nurse isn't going to help," Audra tells me as she takes me with them upstairs.

Katie's parents are here with Maya but they're the only ones besides us, I already know Clare's are on their way and I would assume the Baker's and Fiona's family is on their way. And anyone else that got air lifted must have family on the way. Maya sits between her parents looking at her hands. We all sit down and Adam looks like he might break at any minute, not that I blame him three of the most important people in the world to him are at this trauma center and were flirting with death when we last saw them. When the door opens I think it's a doctor with news but it's my family, my parents and my brother. I'm not even hurt but I leap up and run to them, embracing my entire family and just glad to be with them. My parents hug me tight and Tristan is clinging to my waist, crying a little and holding so tight it's like he's afraid to let go. He hasn't clung to me so tightly since he was five and I was eight and I saved him from a couple of kids trying to push him off the playground.

"We didn't know if you were okay, they just said the bus crashed, we thought you might be dead," Tris tells me.

"I'm okay Buddy, I'm not even hurt," I assure him.

"I saw the Baker's on the way in, Owen Becky's dead," Tris practically whispers.

I feel a lump in my throat and look over at Adam who's barely keeping it together as it is. When he finds out Becky's dead he just might snap, if I were in Adam's shoes I would snap.

"Don't say anything, Drew and Clare are both in this hospital and we don't know if they're okay yet," I tell them and they all nod.

We walk over and sit down, Adam, Dallas and Bianca acknowledge Tris but he goes over to sit with Maya. My parents exchange hellos with Audra and Omar and then we sit silently while we wait for news and all I can do is pray that no one else dies.

**No I am not so cruel that I would leave a one shot like that, if you've read my page you should know that I consider anything less than 4 chapters a one shot. Why? Because I'm crazy like that so this gets another chapter obviously, possibly even two and the next chapter will be October 17****th**** and picking up from around here.**


	2. So Much Stronger Holding Your Hand

**Okay so this is going to be a three shot.**

**Ch. 2 I'll be so much Stronger Holding Your Hand**

**(OWEN)**

"Any word?" Jake asks walking in with Helen and his dad.

"Not on Clare, Drew or Katie," I reply.

"Fiona's parents had her flown to some fancy hospital in New York, they're worried about a spinal injury with her. Alli and Jenna were taken home by Alli's parents, Eli rode with us but he's outside talking to Fiona's mom on the phone," Jake informs me.

I look over at Adam and motion Jake over putting my hand on his shoulder and leaning in close to whisper to him, "Becky's dead, I don't want to tell Adam yet. Drew and Clare are both in critical condition and Adam looks like he might snap at any second."

"Yeah good call," Jake says smiling at Maya who looks up for a second and then down again.

Helen and Glen are talking with Audra and Omar, Jake sits across from us and then Eli comes in.

"Fiona's mom is going to keep me updated and they're going to fly Imogen out. They offered to fly me out too and I wasn't sure I wanted to go. I don't know how Clare is so I don't know where I should be," Eli tells us.

"We don't know how Clare or anyone else is but right now you should probably be here just for Adam's sake," I say and pull his sleeve down so I can whisper to him, "Becky's dead and both Drew and Clare are in surgery. Adam doesn't know about Becky yet and I don't think he could take it if I told him."

Eli looks over at Adam and nods, just as Eli sits down a doctor comes in and goes over to Maya and her parents. Not a minute later a second doctor comes in, he looks at the room and walks in our direction.

"Andrew Torres parents?" He questions.

"That's us," Audra says standing up with Omar but Adam doesn't stand.

"Your son had bleeding and swelling in brain, we've stopped the bleeding and reduced the swelling. Initial scans don't show any significant damage, however because of his history with concussions and head trauma we simply don't know. He's out of surgery but still in critical condition. We had to address the head injury before anything else, his head is wrapped but to reduce the swelling and address the bleeding we had to open his skull and we won't close it back up until we know the swelling is gone. They're going to bring in a mobile x-ray and ultra sound to check for any other serious internal injuries, once they are done you'll be able to go see him. We won't know if he has any brain damage until he wakes up, and there is a chance he may never wake up."

"No," Adam says standing up now, "no you don't know Drew he will wake up, he won't just leave us. He will wake up, he'll wake up," Adam asserts and sinks down again.

Eli and Omar sit on either side of him as he starts to cry and Audra moves the doctor across the room to talk to him privately for a minute. When she's done I get up and stop her from going over to her family.

"I don't want to tell Adam but Becky died, I know we're going to have to tell him at some point but I don't think he can take it right now," I inform his mother.

"Thanks for telling me Owen, maybe after he sees Drew. I do wish they would give us an update on Clare," Audra comments.

"Yeah me too it's got me a little worried that they haven't yet," I comment just as I see the doctor walk away from the Matlin parents, they start crying and Jake goes over to see what the doctor said. I sit back with Bianca and Jake comes over sitting down again.

"Katie's still in surgery she has a broken leg, but what they're worried about is her ruptured kidney and the tear in her stomach. She's septic because of what came out of her stomach, they sewed it up and giving her blood but…they don't know if she'll make it through the night," Jake informs us.

We return to silent waiting, Mo and Marisol come, she has a cast on her arm and he has a bandage on his head and one on his arm. They sit with Maya and her parents, a few minutes later the doctor that came in to talk to Audra and Omar comes back.

"I have good news he has no other significant injuries, a few cuts and abrasions but nothing life threatening or even critical. He's still unconscious and his pupils are unresponsive, he has a GCS of 5 which means he's in a coma. His brain is still active and hopefully his youth and previous health will help him wake up. So can all of you, talk to him, read to him, sing to him it will help. Follow me and I'll take you to him," the doctor tells Drew's family and they go to see Drew, Bianca walks with her arm around Adam and Dallas follows slowly behind like he's not really sure he's a part of the family.

They stay back there but then I guess they don't want to leave him but if it Tris lying in that room I wouldn't want to leave him either. After another hour or so the doctor comes back to speak to the Matlin's. He tells them she's out of surgery but on major antibiotics and they're keeping her in a medically induced coma so she can heal. Maya and her parents, Jake, Mo and Marisol go back to see Katie and Tris comes and sits with our parents again. Katie's out of surgery, Drew's out of surgery but we haven't heard a thing about Clare and I'm not the only one to realize this.

"What is going on? Why haven't we heard anything?" Helen exclaims.

"I'll go find someone and ask for an update on her condition," Glen says but Helen goes with him.

"I think we should take Maya home with us, she doesn't need to be in the hospital environment but her parents will probably want to stay the night until they know Katie's stable. Are you going to stay Owen?" Mom asks.

"Yeah I think so I want to know about Drew and Clare I can find a way back," I reply.

"Alright I'm going to go find Katie's room and talk to her parents," Mom tells us and Tris goes with her.

"Where are my parents?" Jake questions when he comes back in a moment later.

"They went to find a doctor to get an update on Clare," Eli informs him.

"It's about time," Jake responds sitting down.

My parents return before Clare's parents return, they have Maya with them and tell me they'll see me at home and to stay in touch. I tell them I will and they leave, just I start thinking I need to go looking for Clare's parents they finally return, and Helen is crying that's not good.

"Clare had swelling, she hit her head at some point and had internal swelling they don't think it's severe but they said someone mentioned she had amnesia," Glen says.

"Yeah, she couldn't remember anything since yesterday morning," I tell them.

"She also has a broken arm but that's not why she's in surgery, her left patella was…dislocated is putting it mildly. She tore through all the ligaments around her knee, her patella was embedded in her calf muscle and ripped through some of her muscle tissue. Her leg was full of blood and fluid, they have to do some major reconstructive surgery, all her nerves, muscle, tendon it was all just torn away, her leg was essentially ripped into two pieces and only her skin held it together. She also has some internal bleeding in the abdomen and they aren't sure of the cause yet. That's all we know right now but it doesn't look to good," Glen says and Helen starts crying again.

"She was walking after the crash," I comment.

"They think that's what exacerbated the injury, she was probably moving on adrenaline and didn't realize how much she was hurt but bearing weight on the leg just…" Glen doesn't even finish he just looks ill.

Eli looks pale and Jake looks green again, Helen is just crying and I hear Jake mumble something about calling Randall whom I guess is Clare's dad. Glen manages to get Helen into a chair and Jake just looks sort of blank. There's a few other families in this waiting room but I don't know any of them. Mo and Marisol either left or they'll still in with Katie and her parents, my family has gone with Maya, Dallas, Bianca and the Torres family is still with Drew. Eli and I are the only ones here without family, he's only here for Clare and I'm here for Drew and Bianca.

"Eli let's go find Drew's room and tell them about Clare," I say hitting his arm lightly and he nods getting up.

We leave the waiting room and I ask the reception nurse for Drew's room, it's just around the corner but the door is closed and there's no window. I knock on the door lightly and Dallas opens it a few seconds later. Drew's in the bed, covers up to his chest and a hospital gown on, he has a heart monitor on his finger and an IV in, his head is all wrapped in bandages. Aside from all that he really just looks like he's sleeping, as I step a little closer I see electrodes on his head I guess monitoring brain activity.

"Hey we have an update on Clare," I tell them.

"How is she?" Adam asks in a voice filled with fear and hope at the same time.

"She's in surgery, her leg is really bad, she hit her head and she has some internal bleeding. They don't know too much yet," I tell them.

"You know how stubborn Clare is, she'll be just fine, she'll come back just to yell at me for breaking up with her," Eli jokes and Adam smiles a little.

"We have to tell you something else," I say clearing my throat.

"It's Becky isn't it?" Adam asks in voice that's barely audible.

"Yeah she didn't make it," Eli says slowly and Adam nods slowly, he looks away but there's tears in his eyes.

"I saw it in her eyes when they took her away to the helicopter. I just knew," he says in a rough voice, his dad and Dallas comfort him and we quietly leave the room.

**(ADAM)**

"I'm going to get some coffee; do any of you want anything?" Dad asks.

I have no idea how long it's been since the crash, I don't even know if it's dark outside. I've been sitting by Drew's bedside just watching him and worried about him. Sometime ago Owen and Eli came in to tell us about Clare, she wasn't doing well and as far as I knew she was still in surgery. Becky was dead, I knew she was dead but I hadn't processed it yet, I couldn't, I couldn't even really think about Clare it was all I could do just to sit with my brother and concentrate on him.

"Yeah I could use some coffee I'll go with you," Dallas speaks up.

"No I'm okay," Bianca shakes her head and squeezes Drew's hand. She hasn't left his side at all; she's barely looked away from him.

"I'm okay can you find out about Clare though? I feel like it's been a long time since we heard anything," I comment.

"Yeah we'll find out what's going on," Dallas assures me putting his hand on my shoulder and squeezing a little.

"Coffee please," Mom says, she's holding Drew's other hand.

Dad and Dallas go out and a minute later Eli comes in, he looks at Drew and comes over to me.

"I saw your dad and Dallas; I was going to come back anyway. Clare's still in surgery, they're still working on her leg but they found the source of her internal bleeding. She tore a major vein and they had to repair it and drain all the blood. They don't know how bad her head is yet and they think she'll be in surgery another couple of hours. Once she's out and stable I'm going to go to New York, Fiona is awake but she had a spinal cord injury and broke several vertebrae, they don't think she'll ever walk again. Imogen is there but I should be there too," Eli tells me.

"Yeah of course send her our best, Clare will understand. I'm not leaving here until I know Drew and Clare are going to be okay," I state firmly.

"Clare's family is in the waiting room, Owen's still here too I don't think he's leaving either. You need anything?" Eli asks.

"No thanks just let me know if you hear anything about Clare or Fiona," I reply.

Eli nods and he leaves, Dallas and Dad comeback with coffee. Dad hands Mom her coffee and we sit there watching Drew again. We're not silent, the doctor said to talk to him so Mom's been talking almost the whole time. Bianca's talked a little too but mostly Mom. I just watch him, staring at my brother and urging him to make any kind of sign that he's okay. When Mom's voice starts to go hoarse from talking Bianca takes over and then Eli comes in.

"Clare's out of surgery, they're putting her in ICU, she's not entirely stable but she's out of surgery. I'm headed to the airport, I'll check in when I get to the hospital. Jake's going to keep me updated on Clare, they're getting a couple of rooms at the hotel so they can stay near her and Owen's flat out refused to leave so they're letting him sleep here," Eli informs me.

"Yeah messing with Owen is not a good idea, give my love to Fiona and Imogen," I tell Eli and hug him. Eli nods and leaves the room.

"I'll see about getting us some rooms at the hotel as well and talk to Helen and Glen. I'll get three rooms, unless you and Dallas don't want to share a room," Dad says to me.

"I'm staying here," I assert, "I'm not leaving this hospital until I know Clare and Drew are okay. I already lost Becky and I wasn't there when it happened I am not leaving here and I am not leaving them!"

"I'll go talk to the doctor's, I'm sure they'll let you stay if they're letting Owen," Mom says.

"We'll be back in a little bit," Dad tells us. He and Mom both touch Drew before they leave and whisper something to him.

"I'm going to see Clare; I haven't seen her since…I just need to see her. I'll be back in a few minutes," I speak up as soon as Mom and Dad are gone.

Bianca reaches over and takes my hand, "Take your time Adam, Clare needs you too and we'll come get you if there's any change with Drew."

"Thanks," I nod walking to the door.

"Tell Clare to get better," Dallas says.

"Yeah I will."

I walk out of the room and two doors down to Clare's room. Helen is in here with Jake and surprisingly Owen, Glen must be getting hotel rooms or talking to my dad.

"How's Drew?" Owen asks.

"Still the same how is she?"

"We're not sure, they keep coming in every fifteen minutes and her vitals keep dropping. The doc said the trauma she's been through was just too much and her body is shutting down. They're also concerned that she has some other injury or her head trauma was worse than they thought but she's not stable enough for imaging," Owen informs me.

"But she's going to be okay right?" I ask feeling the tears in my eyes again.

"All we can do is hope and pray," Jake replies and his voice cracks, "but you know Clare she's a fighter."

I just stand there staring at Clare, I can't move and all I can think is that I'm going to lose my girlfriend and my best friend all in one day. Drew probably won't die but he might never wake up again which means I'll lose him too. At some point Owen takes my arm and pulls me to Clare's bed, I sit down on the end, she's so short there's almost a foot of space between her feet and the end of the bed. Her left leg is elevated on pillows and all wrapped up in fluffy cast; I gently put my hand on her right leg and look up at her.

"Come on Clare you have to be okay, you just have to be get better because I can't lose you too," I insist to her. "Eli went to New York, Fiona is hurt bad too and they don't know if she's going to walk. Dallas and Bianca say hi just get better Clare, get better and yell at Eli for breaking up with you just get better."

"Come on Clare even Katie's stable, she's improving and they think they can move her out of the ICU in the morning," Jake says filling the silence.

Well at least there's some good news, at least it sounds like Katie is going to be okay. I should go back to Drew and be with my brother but he's okay for now and I'm afraid to leave Clare. We're all silent again and in the background I hear her heart monitor getting slower and slower. I hear it but I'm really not paying attention to it or thinking about it until suddenly an alarm goes off.

"We need you all to get out of the room," a nurse says shooing us out.

Helen almost collapses and Jake holds her up, just as the door is closing I see them shocking Clare and trying to get her to come back to life! My heart sinks, I feel so helpless, my best friend is dying and I can't do anything. I start crying, I can't help it just bawling like a baby.

"She can't die, she just can't die! I can't lose her and Becky both! How am I supposed to be with her and Drew?! How can I be there for both of them?" I rant to no one and everyone.

Owen pats my back and says he'll be right back before running down the hall. Clare's door opens again and the doctor and nurses come out.

"Clare has a regular sinus rhythm now; we intubated her to help her breathe. Her body is weak, she's been through a lot and her body is shutting down. Youth and health are on her side but the next 72 hours are critical, you really should go to the hotel and get some rest. We will notify you immediately of any change," the doctor says to Helen while I rush back into the room and sit on Clare's bed taking her hand. I'm in there alone for several minutes before Helen, Jake and Owen come back in the room.

"Adam Sweetie they're going to put Clare and Drew into one room and putting in cots for you and Owen. Your parents think it will be good and so do I, you can both stay with them and help them and it will probably be good for them to be together. They're coming in to move Clare first since she's in worse shape and they need to be sure she's stable before they move in Drew," Helen tells me with a hand on my shoulder.

"Thanks, that was a good idea to put them together," I reply letting out a breath I feel like I've been holding since the bus crashed.

"I agree but it wasn't mine, it was Owen's he thought it would be better for all of you if they were in one room," Helen informs me and I smile at Owen. "I'm staying until I know she's okay for the night and then I'm being forced to go get some rest but Owen has assured me you two will watch Clare," Helen says.

"We will, I promise you we will," I assure her.

A doctor, a nurse and two orderlies come in to move Clare and we go out of the room. I stay with them move her, holding my breath until she's down the hall, this is not a private room but as she'll be sharing it with Drew it shouldn't be a private room. They get Clare's monitors and machines all hooked up and everyone's silent for a minute but nothing happens and we all breathe a sigh of relief.

"I'd like to be alone with my daughter for a few minutes," Helen requests.

"I'll go check on Katie," Jake comments.

"Come on Adam let's go check on Drew," Owen says to me.

We walk down to my brother's room and Bianca's in there with her head on his bed, she's asleep. Dallas and my parents are talking but stop when we come in the room.

"Bianca doesn't want to leave but she's exhausted we're making her go to the hotel. We'll be here in minutes if anything happens and you two keep them company, hopefully all of them in one room will help them to wake up," Mom says.

"Yeah let's hope," I nod as the doctor, nurse and orderlies come in to move Drew.

"Bianca, Honey they're going to move Drew you have to get up," Mom says gently to Bianca.

"Move him? Move him where? What's wrong?" She questions waking up in a panic.

"Nothing, Drew is fine, they're putting him into a room with Clare so Adam can be with them both," Mom tells her.

"Oh, yeah that's good," Bianca nods and kisses my brother before she lets the doctor and nurse start to move him.

Just like with Clare we follow Drew down, Dad and Glen are talking outside the new room. They move Drew in and get his machines set up, when they're both situated an orderly brings in a cot. The doctor tells us that there isn't enough room for two cots and the one that's in there is pushed against the far wall, away from both beds. They have to do this because if something happens they need to be able to get to Clare and Drew and not have us in the way. There's a chair in the room that reclines a little and one of us can sleep in there but I'm sure neither of us will be getting much sleep.

"Goodnight Drew, Adam and Owen are here with you and Clare too. Give each other strength," Mom says to Drew kissing his forehead and then she comes over hugging me. "Watch out for your brother Adam," she tells me and kisses my forehead.

Dad, Bianca and Dallas hug me, Mom hugs Helen, Bianca hugs Owen and they reluctantly leave the room. Helen says goodnight to Clare and leaves in tears with Jake and Glen dragging her away with me and Owen assuring her that we'll take care of Clare. With everyone gone I sit on the edge of Drew's bed and Owen sits on the end of Clare's.

"Don't take this the wrong way but why do you care so much about Clare? You guys barely know each other," I comment when we're alone.

"I gave her CPR in that field, I kept her alive, I breathed air into her lungs I have to know she's going to be okay. I just, I feel connected to her now," Owen tells me.

"Thanks for saving Owen," I say looking at the face of my best friend and thinking that she might have died in that field.

"Yeah," Owen nods taking her hand and sort of gazing at her with a look I've never before seen on his face.

**(DREW)**

My head feels weird, heavy and huge but somehow light and like it's floating. My forehead is itching, there's a bandage around it, my eyes open slowly. The room is pretty dark but there's a little light and a lot of monitors, I realize not all the monitors are mine and I look over to the extra monitors. I blink my eyes a bunch of times because they're blurry. It's Clare in the next bed, she doesn't look very good but she looks better than the last time I saw her. I also see my brother in the room, asleep in a cot on the other side of the room. There's a chair between our beds with a blanket and pillow on it. At first I think it must be my mom or maybe Clare's but then I see Owen's hoodie on the chair. A million thoughts run through my mind like what time is it? What day? Where's Bianca? Where's my parents, Dallas and Owen? And how come Owen has been here in the hospital with me and Clare? How badly was I hurt? How badly is Clare hurt?

While I'm thinking about all this and worried about how tired my brother looks I hear a noise from Clare's bed. I look over to see her eyes fluttering and her fingers moving. I watch her and her eyes open; she blinks a couple times and looks around before noticing me.

"Tell me I didn't have sex with you," she exclaims in a raspy whisper.

"No I don't think Bianca would like that," I reply with a grin. "We're in the hospital, the crash remember?"

"Crash?" She asks wrinkling her eyebrows together.

"The bus crash, you still don't remember the crash, do you remember anything? Being in the field after? You were sitting with Owen," I tell her and she shakes her head.

"What's wrong with Adam?" She questions noticing my brother on the cot.

"Nothing I don't think, pretty sure he just hasn't left us at all, I think he's been here as long as we have. I'm not actually sure how long we've been here," I inform her just as the door opens and Owen comes in with coffee.

"Hey you're awake thank heavens, you're both awake! You two plan that? Yo Adam look who's joined the land of the living again," Owen calls waking up my brother.

Adam sits up, opens his eyes and then looks relieved and ecstatic, "You're awake, both of you! When did you wake up?" Adam asks going over to hug Clare, then he hugs me and sits on the edge of my bed.

"I woke up a few minutes and Clare woke up just after me," I inform them.

"So you did plan it, somehow in your unconscious coma states you two got together decided to worry us all to death for four days and then wake up together," Owen chides us.

"Four days?" I repeat.

"Yeah it's Tuesday you guys have been out for four days, we weren't sure you guys were going to wake up. Your parents, Jake, Dallas and Bianca are staying in the hotel next to the hospital but the two of us refused to leave," Owen enlightens us.

"I know why Adam didn't leave us but what the hell are you doing here? Not that I don't love you dude," I say to Owen.

Clare giggles and then starts coughing Owen sits on the edge of the bed and caresses her cheek. When she stops coughing, he gives her some water and helps her drink it.

"I'm pretty sure he's falling in love with her," Adam whispers to me.

"Yeah apparently, you sure miss a lot when you're out for four days," I reply watching Owen with Clare.

"I'm going to tell the doctor you guys are awake and call Mom and Dad. I'm so relieved to see you guys awake don't ever scare me like that again," Adam says squeezing my hand and he goes out of the room.

I lie back watching Owen with Clare and wondering what else I missed in the last four days.

**As I said this will be a three shot but as my schedule is totally booked it will have to wait until one shot week in January. Sorry for the long wait. I will be posting the holiday schedule on the DeGrassi Saviors website this weekend.**


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